Community-Outreach Event Benefiting Habitat for Humanity 10/4

The AAF-Fort Worth will have the chance to participate in a community outreach event benefiting Habitat for Humanity.

When: October 4, 2008 from 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m..
Where: home located at 2909 Burton Ave. in Fort Worth.
Who can participate? Anyone 11 years of age and older! (Children under 18 must have parent or guardian present)
Directions to home from I-35W.
• Take EXIT 48A toward BERRY ST/ TCU.
• Go East on E BERRY ST (Northbound I-35W turn right or Southbound I-35W turn left)
• Turn LEFT onto THRALL ST.
• Turn RIGHT onto BURTON AVE.

If you would like to participate in this community-outreach event, please contact Leigh Hickman of Warren Douglas for the necessary forms. You will need to bring the completed forms to the event on 10/4 in order to volunteer.

For forms or additional information, Leigh can be reached via email at: leigh.hickman@warrendouglas.com. Or, give her a call at 817.862.1400 (office).

Hondo Group Promotes Two, Hires Two

The Hondo Group, a Fort Worth-based marketing communications company, announced today the promotions of Liz Heck and Tina Hong, as well as the addition of Paul Conn and Sara Facundo to their team of innovative experts.

Liz Heck has been promoted to Account Supervisor and will be responsible for strategic planning and managing client relationships. Previously serving as an account executive at The Hondo Group for two years, Heck will continue to focus on commercial real estate and various professional service accounts including handling publicity and marketing efforts for the Museum Place development, Warner Stevens L.L.P. and the Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo. In addition, she will take on the responsibility of developing and implementing public relations tactics, event management and media relations for all agency clients and the Hondo Group itself. Heck, a Fort Worth native and graduate of the University of Texas at Arlington, is active in the community and serves as a member of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Fort Worth’s Panther Club, Vision Fort Worth, the Public Relations Society of America and is a volunteer for Jazz by the Boulevard.

Tina Hong was promoted to designer and will be responsible for providing clients with a variety of world-class creative executions. Previously serving as a junior graphic designer for the Hondo Group, Hong specializes in brand identity, publication design and corporate identity packages. Hong is an active member of the American Institute of Graphic Arts and earned a B.F.A. in Graphic Design from Oregon State University.

Paul Conn has been hired as Interactive Designer for The Hondo Group and will be responsible for designing and implementing Web sites for agency clients. Conn brings more than 10 years of experience in the field to the company, his expertise includes Web site design, Flash, Internet marketing strategies and client relations. Prior to joining The Hondo Group, Conn worked for companies including Brown Foreman, Tommy Hilfiger and Insight Media Communications. An acclaimed interactive designer, Conn has received two Silver ADDY Awards for his design and Flash work on client Web sites.

Sara Facundo has joined the team as an Assistant Account Executive. Facundo will provide account service and public relations efforts for current clients including professional services, agriculture, western lifestyle and commercial real estate accounts. In addition to recently receiving a B.B.A. degree in marketing from the University of North Texas, she served as an intern at DFW International Airport in the Public Affairs Department and a summer intern for The Hondo Group prior to joining the agency full time.

“It’s an exciting time to be on our team,” said Lynn Balinas, president of The Hondo Group. “As our client list keeps growing, we get to hire and promote great talent like Paul, Sara, Liz and Tina.”

AAF-Fort Worth to Conduct Interactive Marketing Workshop

The American Advertising Federation-Fort Worth is conducting an Interactive Marketing Workshop. The day-long event is planned for Friday, October 17, 2008 from 9:00AM to 4:00PM at the International Plaza Building in Fort Worth.

Taught by area interactive marketing professionals, the workshop is a comprehensive seminar that will cover the basic components of interactive marketing, including social marketing, paid search, online marketing and emerging technologies and tactics. The workshop is geared towards marketing and sales professionals with segments appealing to information technology and support personnel. The workshop is open to the general public. Anyone interested in learning how to apply interactive marketing techniques to current marketing plans is encouraged to attend.

Participants in the workshop include The Balcom Agency, Branch Smith Printing, Concussion Advertising, Honeybee Graphics, Range Online Media, Rassai Interactive, and Warren Douglas Creative Branding and Marketing.

The workshop will be divided into morning and afternoon sessions with a roundtable discussion planned over lunch.

Tickets for the event are $90 for members and $140 for non-members. Student price is $50. Half day tickets are available for $50 for members and $75 for non-members. Lunch is available for $10.

Event Information:
Interactive Marketing Workshop
International Plaza Building
Ground Floor Training Room
4055 International Plaza
Fort Worth, TX 76109

For a full agenda. or to register, click here.

Two Cows and a Billboard: How Chick-fil-A Transformed Fast Food Marketing

Join AAF-Fort Worth on Wednesday, October 22, to find out what was behind the now-famous advertising campaign for Chick-fil-A. How and why did a company that sells chicken sandwiches get into the “cow business?” What have the cows done for the health of this fast-food chicken company - from building sales, to building goodwill within the company, to adding a fun and unexpected hook to all PR efforts?

You will get the inside scoop on the “Eat Mor Chikin” cow campaign as told by Greg Ingram, Chick-fil-A’s “Chief Cow Advocate.” It will be a fast-paced and fun presentation you will not want to miss.

To register, click here.

DFW AMA hosts luncheon: Overcoming the Challenges and Finding the Opportunities of Technology Marketing

Let’s face it. There aren’t many people who come into a specific industry with both technology and marketing expertise. You start with one or the other and either place you start, you will be deficient in the other area. How do you address both to be effective?

We’ll discuss ways to ensure the marketing is credible and embraced by the technologist in addition to the market you are addressing – especially if your market path ends with a non-technical consumer. We’ll also discuss the opportunities in technology marketing from career paths, to salaries, to job security.

You'll come away with:
• An understanding of your own skill set and how to cover your deficiencies.
• Ways to combine the value of marketing with the value of technology to ensure both view are effectively addressed adding credibility to your marketing.

Who should attend? Technology marketers or those interested in entering the field.

Thu 25-Sep-08
11:30 AM - to - 1:00 PM CDT
Fort Worth Club

Click here to register.

Golden Acres Genetics Selects The Hondo Group as Agency of Record

Golden Acres Genetics, a custom seed solutions company located in Waco, Texas, has selected The Hondo Group as agency of record. The agency will provide public relations services for the company.

“It’s an exciting time for Golden Acres Genetics. The world’s demand for food is increasing and we are at the forefront with the latest hybrid technology and product development," said Lou Buice, Golden Acres Genetics President. “We are confident The Hondo Group’s agricultural expertise will help us deliver our services and products to the market, while continuing to build our brand.”

The Hondo Group will be responsible for providing strategic public relations services to Golden Acres Genetics to build brand awareness and administer the introduction of new products to the market. The account will be under the direction of Vice President Susan Foster, who is based in The Hondo Group’s headquarters office in Fort Worth, Texas.

“We are very pleased to have the opportunity to lend our expertise in agricultural marketing to Golden Acres Genetics,” said Lynn Balinas, president of The Hondo Group. “Golden Acres Genetics provides the latest in corn and sorghum seed technology to their clients, and we look forward to helping them enhance their brand recognition.” Located in Waco, Texas, Golden Acres Genetics is an independent, family-owned company. Formed in 1999, Golden Acres Genetics is focused on providing southern farmers with custom seed solutions. Product categories include corn, sorghum, seed treatments, packaging, agronomic tools and a variety of hands-on client programs. For more information on the company, visit www.GAseed.com.

Balcom Agency Hires Sarah Gordon as Junior AE

Sarah Gordon has joined the Balcom Agency as junior account executive for the public relations division. Her position will include supporting the public relations director in all public relations activities and assisting in account management.

Prior to working at Balcom, Gordon served as Fleishman-Hillard’s corporate intern for the summer at the agency’s Dallas office. Gordon has also interned at the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History and the Mayborn Museum Complex in Waco, Texas.

Gordon graduated from Baylor University with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in December 2007

Maximize Your Magazine Know-How

Our speaker from last month's Magazine Day, Dom Rossi, of Magazine Publishers of America, asked us to pass along the following information and resources for those who are interested about magazine advertising.

Ad Impact: What You Don’t Know Could Hurt Your Bottom Line
To answer tough questions about magazines faced by agencies and magazines alike, MPA has created a new tool to bust a number of erroneous media myths.
http://www.magazine.org/advertising/myth_busters.aspx

Accountability II: How Media Drive Results and Impact Online Success
A compilation of accountability research, based on multiple independent studies, shows the strengths of magazines and their role alongside other media in:

-Performing throughout the purchase funnel from brand awareness to purchase intent
-Influencing consumer visits and searches on the web to drive online results. http://www.magazine.org/content/Files/AccountabilityII.pdf

How Media Drive Online Success: Increasing Web Traffic and Search
This document extracts the “drive to web” research from the Accountability Guide. http://www.magazine.org/content/Files/OnlineMedia.pdf

Creative Diagnostic Tool to Make Magazine Creative More Accountable
This diagnostic tool from MPA allows advertisers to assess engagement with magazine advertising creative and ultimately strengthen ad recall and action-taking. The tool, which is based on new and existing engagement research, delivers in-depth information on how consumers experience the magazine ads, beyond just scores. http://www.magazine.org/content/Files/CreativeDiagFull.pdf

Additionally, you can take a peek at the new Magazine Handbook, http://www.magazine.org/advertising/handbook/Magazine_Handbook.aspx as well as the recently updated African American/Black Market profile. http://67.192.45.82/advertising/categories/index.aspx

And don’t miss seeing who won the 27th annual Kelly Awards, where you can view the best ads of the year as well as the results they achieved at www.kellyawardsgallery.org.

On June 14 of this year, Paul Jerde, Creative Director of MasonBaronet in Dallas, was biking around White Rock Lake. It was a perfect spring Saturday, the day before Father's Day. On his way to meet his wife and son, he was hit by a truck and experienced a very traumatic brain injury. Although in a coma, he is progressing in his daily therapy and rehabilitation but his recovery will be slow, difficult, and very expensive.

To help defray costs, friends of the Jerde family present The Jerde Cup on Tuesday, September 23, at Tour18 in Flower Mound, Texas. To sign up to play click on the link below. Even if you can't play, you can go to this link and donate directly to the family. Or sponsor one of the marathon golfers during the morning round (John Hampton is one of the marathon golfers!).
https://www.miraclegolfconcepts.com/eventdetail.php?id=288

Paul has touched many lives, and from his hospital bed he continues touching lives. This is our chance to help a man and his family, to change a life or two and make a difference. The golf and fellowship are a bonus. Sign up to play, sponsor a hole or golfer, or just donate. The Jerde family appreciates whatever you can do or give.

To learn more about Paul, his wife Patty and their son Buzz and to follow Paul's recovery go to:
http://getwellsoonpaul.blogspot.com/

Contact: John Hampton, XpedX, (214) 244-7260 (cell) for more information.